Local vehicles have a market

centred around Zero carnage on our national roads, Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero Aids-related deaths, Zero harm to the environment.
The first phase of the campaign was launched during this year’s Heroes holidays with a major focus on fight­ing for Zero carnage on the roads.
According the Mr Chitando, the campaign follows the company’s realisation that its employees and their surrounding communities have to be safeguarded into the future if the company is to succeed in its operations. He also encouraged stakeholders to join in the cam­paign.
Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu, who was represented at the launch by his Per­manent Secretary Mr Prince Mupazviriho, applauded the great efforts being made by the mining company to ensure the safety of its workers at work, at home and on the roads.
He singled out the company’s swift reaction during the fire incident which occurred in May this year as a sign of the Mimosa team’s commitment to safety and health.
In last week’s contribution titled “Level the tender playing field” which focused on the procurement chal­lenges faced by the local motor we erroneously pub­lished that the price difference between the foreign vehicles that eventually won a recent tender and the local varieties was US$4000. The price difference is in actual fact only just US$400.
Often we have heard local assemblers being accused of charging extortionate prices but recent events make one wonder whether this is not just a case of sabotage by some individual who is either actually bent on rip­ping or destroying progress or someone who is benefit­ing from peddling foreign products.
I know that there has been spirited attempts to show that local vehicles do not have a market because they are not competitive. I cannot help but wonder if this is not just another facade. Proof shown by the contestants in this year’s My Own Boss-Buy Zimbabwe edition entrepreneurial television reality show clearly shows that the vehicles do have a market.
Without any experience whatsoever in vehicle sales and using limited resources and most of all without the luxury of time, the young boys and girls sold 10 vehi­cles in one exhibition and got confirmations for more vehicles outside the programme. This is indeed taking Buy Zimbabwe from the boardroom to the streets but most importantly if these guys can quickly find serious buyers for the local product that surely means the product is much loved out there.
Last week I said the issue of local companies contin­uously losing out on State tenders is beginning to play like a broken record and this got me thinking that maybe we should also harp on this same issue till someone out there listens. For that very reason, today I share once again my previous contribution.
Over and over again we hear that this and that local company has lost a bid to a foreign alternative and rea­sons heavy enough to weigh down any efforts to rebuild our economy. The question is who we are doing any favour by awarding these tenders to foreigners or local fronts for foreign producers?
Recently, the local motor industry was devastated by the loss of a US$6,6 million tender to commodity bro­kers fronting for foreign firms.
For Engineer Dawson Mareya, the managing direc­tor of Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries, the major concern is the hundreds of jobs that have to go on a forced break because production has taken a knock. Sadly, it is these same folk that work hard to feed their families whose tax money is being used to buy foreign vehicles.
My question,  which I will gladly respond to, is where is the value in all of this? This is the value that we are choosing to export, disturbingly, with no guns held to our heads.
I have been led to believe in the importance of pride, wealth and jobs and I believe that a lot more Zimbab­weans share this same belief. If this is a common senti­ment then maybe it is time we demand accountability each time public funds are spent.
Getting back to the tender in question, Buy Zim­babwe has it on good authority that as a simple example Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries had the internal capacity to supply the 93 4 x 2 petrol one-tonne trucks which were supplied by a commodity broker at a price which is only US$400 cheaper than Mazda.
This does not even consider the fact that despite a preferential tender awarded to the lowest bidder in terms of Section 21 of the Procurement Regulations 2002, local companies also enjoy a 10 percent price advantage in any tender. The question is why was this not considered with the vehicle tender in this case?
I am yet to hear anyone who has a genuine argument as to why the Isuzu truck is viewed more superior to the BT50 such that our Government officials prefer the earlier to the latter.
Are we saying that WMMI did not have stocks? The answer is no, as I write Mazda has over 200 different models vehicle stocks in their yard.
In any case, any company wishing to buy through the State Procurement Board is directed to get a waiver from the President’s Office to procure outside Zim­babwe. This generally looks like it has been ignored.
It seems like we are clandestinely ignoring a Presi­dential directive to our own peril. We continue to sell our souls but, worst of all, we are selling our own jobs.
Just look at the figures that the local motoring indus­try has lost in the year-to-date is enough to turn the stomach. In July, 2012 150 single-cab pick-up trucks were bought from outside on behalf of CMED and 263 3L double cabs were bought for the Zimbabwe National Army. These are just some of the disturbing figures this country has to deal with.
As part of the search for a solution, I believe the local motor industry can benefit tremendously from adopt­ing the collective approach. The vices affecting the industry need to be attacked head strong.
The brilliant young girls and boys on My Own Boss I made mention of earlier on, shall, along with some of the leading business champions in this country be sharing some of the success nuggets during a live screening of the finals of the television reality show on November 16, 2012.
Apart from being the finals of yet another successful season of My Own Boss, it is an opportunity to inspire the country to put emphasis on its developmental issues.
Primarily the two finalists who shall be unveiled on the night before the eventual winner is announced will be able to share their experiences over the last three months as they were being mentored into the world of real life business. It is thus an opportunity for anyone with an interest in business to learn from what they also learnt along the way.
Till next week . . . God bless.
Robert Garai Muganda is the General Manager Media and Communications for Buy Zimbabwe. He can be contacted on: email: [email protected]; mobile: 0772 714 233; Facebook: buy Zimbabwe campaign